Article Questions Rep. Eric Bedingfield's Employment

Distict 28 Rep. Eric Bedingfield's status as an employee for S.C. Congressman Mick Mulvaney has been spotlighted by a state political watchdog organization, which questioned whether his unique employment is a potential conflict of interest.

A former real estate broker, Bedingfield, whose district encompasses portions of Mauldin and Simpsonville, now serves as deputy chief of staff for Mulvaney and serves as his campaign manager, reported The Nerve, the online news service of the South Carolina Policy Council.

The disclosure itself came from Bedingfield, who voluntarily submitted an income-disclosure form to the Policy Council as part of its “Project Conflict Watch,” an initiative launched in April to encourage state officials to publicly reveal the sources of their private income.

Records show Bedingfield earned a taxpayer-funded salary in 2012 of $74,315 as Mulvaney's deputy, and another $33,670 as campaign manager.

“I’m good at my job; I work hard,” Bedingfield told The Nerve. “A (state) legislator’s salary can’t pay enough to feed four children.”

Bedingfield said neither job interferes with his duties in the General Assembly, and he has received no indications that they are illegal, improper, or pose any potential conflict of interest.

“My responsibilities in the State House are to the 37,000 people I represent in Greenville County,” Bedingfield said when asked if believed his federal job posed a conflict of interest with his duties as a state lawmaker. “Honestly, when I’m in Columbia, it’s about the interests of the people of South Carolina."

Bedingfield also said he abstains from voting on candidates from Mulvaney's 5th Congressional District who seek seats on various state boards.

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